Everything that has been happening in Ukraine in recent years looks more like an anecdote.
Not always funny, but always absurd.
Actually, the logical culmination of what is happening was the election of the comedian Vladimir Zelensky as the president of the country.
And if before the elections Zelensky played the role of a "man of the people" who was tired of the politics of Ukrainian nationalists, then after the election he got so used to the role of a Ukrainian nationalist that at times he outshines his predecessor Petro Poroshenko.
Although, it would seem, he spoke Russian all his life.
As well as, however, 99% of the Ukrainian political elite with the video cameras turned off.
Gas in Ukrainian politics is a sacred issue.
At first, after the "divorce" from Russia and gaining independence, transit was the favorite subject of bargaining on the Ukrainian side.
A little something wrong - they threatened to cut off the pipeline leading from Russia to Europe.
Constant sticks in the wheels on this topic led to a natural result - Russia began construction of alternative gas pipelines.
The reason was very simple: the constant blackmail on a favorite topic and the unreliability of Ukrainian partners were simply forced to look for other ways.
The logic is simple and beyond doubt: the Europeans need Russian gas, they are ready to buy it, the conditions suit all parties, which means that it is necessary to ensure uninterrupted and reliable supplies.
For Ukraine, such an outcome of events literally became a bolt from the blue - indeed, who would have thought that if the spouse is constantly unhappy, makes claims, harasses with blackmail and tries to deceive, then the other half can simply leave him, which is what happened.
"And what about us?"
- as in a joke.
Кого не устраивает единственно адекватный путь выхода из сложившейся ситуации, когда европейцы хотят купить, а Россия готова продать? Американцев, которые хотят тоже продавать, но только по другим, гораздо более высоким ценам, и украинцев, которые хотят ничего не делать, не вкладываться даже в нормальное поддержание газотранспортной системы на территории своей страны и при этом просто получать деньги — за транзит. Положение дел, мягко говоря, абсурдное. Но абсурд — второе имя Украины.
Каковы рычаги давления со стороны Украины на своих западных сюзеренов? Если назвать вещи своими именами, то в первую очередь давление на жалость — мы вам присягнули, «отдали свою молодость», теперь содержите нас. Грозите России, требуйте от неё для нас поблажек и всё в том же духе.
Only here, as usual, our Ukrainian neighbors have forgotten the main thing: to promise is not to marry.
The task of Big Western Brother in relation to Ukraine was to separate it from Russia.
At the same time, the cynicism of the situation was that no one promised Ukraine a subsequent marriage.
For Western "partners" such cynicism is the norm of life and common behavior, forged over the centuries.
For Ukraine, as a failed state, this is a discovery.
The naivety of Kiev here, of course, goes off scale, but, on the other hand, what else can we expect from the political class of the young country, whose main task is to ensure its own future and the future of its children as soon as possible.
Obviously, no one has ever tried to engage in long-term planning and strategies in Ukraine.
To use the Normandy format for negotiations on gas is generally the apotheosis of absurdity and macabre. Where is the war in Donbass, and where are the gas contracts? Obviously, there was a total creative crisis in the office of President Zelensky. Let's bring all the issues of bilateral relations into the Normandy format? Although there is a suspicion that Kiev would not refuse - the West would negotiate for them, and then they would refuse to fulfill these agreements, as happened with the Minsk agreements.
Let's summarize.
The moral of the Ukrainian neighbors, as always, is simple: give money just for the fact of our existence, because it is necessary, because we want it.
And if you don’t, we will continue to be a headache for you and for Big Western brother, and in general for everyone we can reach.
Only now the Europeans are already fed up with this whole situation.
And this is good.
The further, the better the Europeans understand: the Ukrainian “partners” are losing their relevance, which means that the conclusion is simple: it would be less to have things to do with them.
So the fate of Ukraine seems to be quite obvious - after wandering around Europe, she will return home to Russia.
And we will accept them again.
Because their own, what can you do about it.
But I really hope that very serious conclusions will be drawn from the historical mistakes that the President of Russia wrote about in his article on the Ukrainian issue.
The point of view of the author may not coincide with the position of the editorial board.